AND WHERE TO FIND ONE. 223 



a thrifty, hard-working class. Here white labor 

 preponderates. 



From the base of the Alleghanies, going west, 

 the lands are in many places almost entirely unset 

 tled, and west of the dividing ridge are valued for 

 the large and numerous deposits of the finest bitu 

 minous coal, and of hematite and other varieties of 

 iron ore. The table or glade lands of these moun 

 tains produce the finest wheat and potatoes, but are 

 too high above tide water for the certain production 

 of corn. Where the mineral region is approached 

 by railroad, the lands are very highly valued; but 

 the table lands can be bought at from s2 to S5 per 

 acre, and offer to a race of hardy settlers very at 

 tractive inducements. In this region the winters 

 are long, and sometimes very severe. East of the 

 Alleghanies, down to the latitude of Baltimore, they 

 are shorter and milder. In many pains of the East 

 ern and Western shore, cattle are not housed except 

 for a very short time. 



Northern farmers are astonished at hearing of the 

 low prices at which these Delaware and Maryland 

 farms can be purchased. Compared with rates es 

 tablished throughout the North, they find it difficult 

 to understand why prices should be so high here 

 and so low there. They cannot believe that land in 

 a long populated region, offered so cheaply, can be 

 of any value. If it were, they think it would be 

 quickly occupied by others. The vast quantity for sale 

 is an additional amazement. Yet those who go and 

 see for themselves, discover that they have been mis 

 taken, while many of them purchase and remove to it. 



